Every Angel Performs A Different Duty

Angels do not all have the same status and rank and do not all perform the same kind of function. Every angel is assigned a different task. Whatever changes take place in the world, and whatever emerges as action out of latent power, and whatever success is achieved by souls and bodies in their goals are all affected by heavenly influences. Sometimes the same angel influences different types of capacities in different ways. For instance, Gabriel, who is a grand angel and is related to a very bright heavenly body, is assigned many forms of service in accordance with the services performed by that heavenly body. Though he descends upon every person who is honored with Divine revelation, the circle of the effect of his descent assumes small or great proportions according to different capacities. The largest circle of his spiritual effects is that which is related to the revelation that was sent down to the Holy Prophet. For this reason the insights and verities and the excellencies of wisdom and composition which are found in their perfection and completeness in the Holy Quran are not found to the same degree in any other book.

It should be borne in mind that the effect of an angel on a human spirit is of two types. First, the effect which by the command of Allah influences different types of seed in diverse manners in the womb. Secondly, the effect that comes into operation after his coming into being for the purpose of carrying to their perfection the hidden capacities of that being. This second effect, when it is related to a Prophet or perfect saint, is called revelation. It appears that when an eager spirit through the excellence of its light of faith and light of love establishes a friendly relationship with the Fountainhead of grace, and the life-giving love of God Almighty casts its reflection on his love, then whatever ability is conferred upon him to move forward is the manifestation of the hidden effect which God's angel produces in him while he is in the womb. When the person concerned attains to this rank by the attraction of the first effect, then the same angel casts his influence afresh on him which is filled with light. The angel does not do this on his own but in his capacity of a mediatory servant; like a pipe which draws water from one side and conveys it to the other, this pipe draws into itself the light of Divine grace and, when man on account of the union of two loves places himself next to the pipe of the holy spirit, the grace of revelation flows through that pipe into him. In other words, at that time Gabriel casts his bright shadow on that eager heart and inscribes a reflected picture of himself in it. As the name of the angel who is stationed in heaven is Gabriel, the name of this reflected picture is also Gabriel. If the name of the angel is the Holy Spirit, the name of the reflected picture also is the Holy Spirit. It is not that the angel enters into the man, but his reflection appears in the heart of the man. For instance, when you place a very clear mirror opposite to your face then according to the size of the mirror your features will be reflected in the mirror. It is not that your face and your head being separated from your body are placed in the mirror. hey will retain their place in your body. What will be reflected in the mirror is their picture and the size of the reflection will be in accord with the size of the mirror of the heart. For instance, if you look at your face in a small mirror in a ring you will see the whole of your face but every feature will appear very small, but if you look at your face in a large mirror, which is sufficient for the reflection of all your features, you will behold the reflection of all your features and limbs at their proper size. The same is the case with the effect of Gabriel. It is Gabriel who casts the effect of revelation on the heart even of a minor saint, and the same Gabriel used to cast the effect of revelation on the heart of the Holy Prophet. But the difference between the two revelations is like the difference in the reflection in the mirror of the ring and in a large mirror. Though it is the same Gabriel and he has the same effects yet not all matter that is affected has the same extent and the same clearness. The difference of the effects of Gabriel is not only in their quantity but is also with regard to their quality. That is to say, the purity of heart which is the condition of reflection is not of the same degree in all recipients of revelation. As you can observe not all mirrors possess the same degree of transparency. Some are so clear and bright that the reflection of the beholder is seen in its perfection in them, and some are so opaque and dusty and smoky that the reflection cannot be seen clearly in them. Indeed, some are so distorted that if the lips are visible in the reflection the nose is not, and if the nose is visible the eyes are not. The same is the case with the mirrors of the hearts. In a heart that is of the utmost purity the reflection is very clear and in a heart which is dusty, to some degree, the reflection is also vague to the same degree. This purity was possessed to a complete and perfect degree by the heart of the Holy Prophet, peace be on him; no other heart possessed such purity (Tauzihi Maram ( Amritsar, Riyaz Hind Press) , Now published in Ruhani Khazain (London, 1984) vol. 3 pp. 67-72).

I wonder at the intelligence of people who consider the mediation of vapors as essential for rain which comes down from the clouds and deem it impossible for rain to descend without clouds, but for the rain of revelation which falls upon pure hearts, they laugh out of their ignorance at the mediation of angels which is essential according to the law, and they inquire whether God Almighty could not send down revelation direct without the mediation of angels. They admit that it is contrary to the law of nature that a sound should be heard without the mediation of air, but they are unaware of the law of nature whereby that air is needed which would spiritually carry the voice of God Almighty to the hearts of the recipients of revelation. They agree that to enable physical eyes to see the light of the sun is necessary, but they do not concede the need of any heavenly light for spiritual eyes.

Now we know the Divine law, that this universe with all its physical and spiritual faculties is like the limbs of God and everything in its place and time operates as such limbs, and that every design of God Almighty is manifested through these limbs, and no design is manifested without their mediation. It should be realized that the relationship of Gabriel to Divine revelation that descends upon pure hearts, which is recognized as essential in Islamic law, depends upon the true philosophy that we have just mentioned. According to the law of nature that we have mentioned for the communication of revelation or for the bestowal of the capacity to receive revelation, it is necessary that some creation should serve as a limb for the manifestation of the Divine design of revelation as is the case with the fulfillment of physical Divine designs. That limb is, in other words, called Gabriel, who following a movement of the Divine, immediately comes into motion like a limb. When God Almighty turns with love towards a heart that loves Him, then according to the law that we have just mentioned Gabriel, who is related to God Almighty like the air of the breath, or the light of the eye, has also to move simultaneously. In other words, with the movement of God Almighty Gabriel also comes into motion involuntarily as the shadow moves with the movement of the original. When the light of Gabriel comes into motion under the power of attraction and motion of the illumined breath of God Almighty, then simultaneously a reflection of it, which should be called the Holy Spirit, is inscribed in the heart of the sincere lover and becomes a necessary part of his true love. Then this power bestows the capacity of an ear for hearing the voice of God and becomes a substitute for eyes for beholding His wonders and works like inspiring heat for causing His revelation to flow from the tongue and guides the tongue forcefully along the lines of the revelation. Till this faculty is created man's heart is blind and his tongue is like a railway wagon which is disconnected from the locomotive. It must, however, be borne in mind that this faculty which is called the Holy Spirit is not produced to the same degree in every heart, but according to the degree of a man's love this light of Gabriel affects him.

It should also be remembered that this power of the Holy Spirit, which by the meeting of the two loves is produced in the heart of man by the reflection of the light of Gabriel, does not mean that a person should constantly hear the word of God Almighty or should constantly behold something through visions. It is a means for the absorbing of heavenly lights. In other words, it is a spiritual light to enable spiritual eyes to see, or is spiritual air for conveying sound to spiritual ears from God. It is obvious that unless there is something within sight mere light cannot exhibit anything, and that unless words issue from the mouth of a speaker no voice can be carried to the ears. This light or air is a heavenly aid which is bestowed for spiritual senses, as for physical eyes the light of the sun and for physical ears air have been appointed as a medium. When God Almighty designs to convey His word to the heart of a recipient of revelation then instantaneously a wave of light or a wave of air or a wave of heat for moving the tongue of the recipient of revelation is created in the light of Gabriel for conveyance, and in consequence of this wave or heat simultaneously that text appears before the eyes of the recipient of revelation in writing, or its sound reaches his ears, or its words flow from his tongue. Spiritual senses and spiritual light, which are bestowed as a faculty before revelation, are so bestowed so that before its descent the capacity to receive it should be created. Had it descended at a time when the heart of the recipient did not possess spiritual senses, or the light of the Holy Spirit had not reached his eye or his heart, then through the pure light of what eyes could he have perceived the Divine revelation? It is on account of this need that these two faculties are bestowed in advance upon the recipients of revelation.